No Longer A Child
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Ethel starts her period but as she cannot talk to her mother about it she tries to deal with it herself but soon realises she has no idea what to do. Oneshot. TWW 2017.


A/N: Sorry if this one is awkward for anyone but I got this idea and could not get it out of my head. I do not own the Worst Witch or the characters.

* * *

 **No Longer A Child**

Ethel woke up and stroked her cat Nightstar on the head yawning as she did so, she looked at the time seeing it was just past nine in the morning and walked into her bathroom to get ready to start the day, as the Hallows were rich each bedroom was a en suite so Ethel closed the door not bothering to lock it as it was her own personal bathroom anyway.

It was as Ethel was going to the toilet she noticed, her underwear had blood in it, despite her mother never speaking to her daughter about the weather let alone periods Ethel knew what it was, she did after all attend a all girls school so she had of course picked some things up, but she had no idea what to do.

Ethel had no pads or tampons in her bathroom as she had never had a need for them before and she was way to embarrassed to ask her sister or mother for any so she stuffed toilet roll in for protection telling herself she will worry about what she was going to do later and then left the bathroom in shock ashamed to feel her eyes prickle.

Ethel was upset and scared, she had no idea what she should do but she had to hide it from her family so she dressed quickly in black jeans and a t-shirt and went down to breakfast.

* * *

Ethel played with her cereal but made no attempt to eat it as she was feeling quite sick all of a sudden, her parents were just about to leave for work and she thought she might try with her mother...all she had to do was tell her.

"Mum..." Ethel said more quietly than normal.

"Not now darling we have to go to work" the woman said leaving with her husband and Ethel sighed and went back to playing with her cereal.

"You alright Ethie?" You haven't touched your breakfast" Esmerelda commented seeing her sister was just playing with her cornflakes.

Ethel had really bad cramps in her stomach and had no appetite at all, she just couldn't bring herself to eat. As she heard her sister she looked up at her and told herself maybe she should tell her...she could help her after all but she was way to embarrassed to even say the words.

"Oh yes...I am fine" Ethel faked a smile as she lied hoping her sister did not suspect anything at all.

* * *

After breakfast Ethel was going out to meet Drusilla feeling even more sick as the air hit her, she ran into a shop and walked over to the sanitary area looking at the things on the shelf, why on earth was there so many different ones? She had no idea what to get and she was to embarrassed to pay for them so when the shopkeeper was not looking she picked up a pink packet and ran out going into the nearest toilets.

Half a hour later she met up with Drusilla, the two girls were planning on spending a few hours together but Ethel felt like she was about to faint or throw up...or both. Drusilla was talking about something and Ethel was not listening her stomach cramping so much she could barely refrain from crying.

"DRUSILLA" Ethel suddenly shouted angrily in way to much pain for the girl to be going on "Will you shut up!" Ethel told her as she clutched her stomach.

"Ethel are you okay?" Drusilla asked her concerned.

"Fine...just fine" Ethel replied as she touched her sore stomach.

"Are you sure?" Drusilla asked her not buying her story.

"Yes." Ethel lied as she got up "Do you mind if we postpone our outing I...I am not feeling well...I need to lie down" Ethel told Drusilla as the blonde rushed of home leaving the other girl worried and confused.

* * *

Drusilla was just about to leave to go home when she saw Esmerelda coming out the local library, she was not one hundred percent sure what was wrong with Ethel but she thought the older girl should know something was up with Ethel.

"Esmerelda" Drusilla said rushing up to her.

"Drusilla...are you not meant to be out with Ethie?" Esmerelda asked as she tucked some books under her arm.

"Yes but...look I think there is something wrong, she was being really quiet and seemed stressed and she kept touching her stomach as if she was in pain and then she said she didn't feel well and ran off" Drusilla told Esmerelda.

Esmerelda had known something was wrong when Ethel was so quiet and had no appetite that morning but with what Drusilla said she knew what the problem was now.

"Thanks Drusilla...I have to go" Esmerelda told the other girl handing her her pile of books as she ran off.

"Wait what am I meant to do with these?" Drusilla shouted after the older blonde as she held the books in her arms confused but the girl had already gone.

* * *

Ethel was lying on her bed rubbing her stomach when someone knocked on her door, she moaned in response and Esmerelda walked in looking at her sister...yes she was right alright, she had all the classic signs, she was pale and was lying on her bed looking sick.

Ethel did not reply as she walked in but just tried to move her hand of her stomach a little so her sister would not suspect anything. Esmerelda looked at Ethel a moment longer before speaking.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Esmerelda asked Ethel knowing there was.

"Yes" Ethel replied a lot quicker than Esmerelda suspected she would. "I feel like I am about to throw up, you might want to move in case I do" Ethel replied and Esmerelda had to smirk at how Ethel joked even when she was feeling crappy. Esmerelda went and sat next to Ethel on the bed wondering how to brace the subject.

"Why do you feel so sick?" Esmerelda asked grabbing her sisters hand wanting Ethel to tell her the truth.

"Must have been the cake I ate last night Sybil made" Ethel replied trying to joke even if she was in pain and felt like crap.

"Ethie..." Esmerelda said about to ask her the question but she didn't get the chance.

Ethel's stomach cramped again and she clutched her stomach in pain not able to help it.

"Can you go please.." Ethel told her sister not wanting to talk anymore but Esmerelda knew they needed to have this conversation.

"No Ethel we need to talk..." Esmerelda replied seriously.

"No I am fine...honest" Ethel replied wanting Esmerelda to go away, she was not in the mood to talk right now.

"Ethel..." Esmerelda said looking at her with a look that she hoped showed she could trust her.

That was when Ethel was past caring how embarrassing this was, she felt so sick if her sister could make her feel better she would speak about it.

"Fine if you must know I started my period this morning" Ethel said putting her face in her pillow way to embarrassed to look at her sister as she talked about this. Esmerelda was happy her sister had admitted it even if she was embarrassed.

"I know" Esmerelda replied as she had already guessed, Ethel looked up at her trying to glare at her but in Ethel's state it was no-where near the normal harshness of her glare.

"How?" Ethel asked her confused.

"Drusilla told me you were acting funny so I guessed" Esmerelda told her sister, her sister was after all at the correct age now so she had just known.

"And you still made me say it? Why?" Ethel asked blushing more red by the situation.

"Because I wanted you to trust me enough to tell me" Esmerelda admitted and Ethel wanted to yell at her sister but she couldn't. Her stomach cramped again and she needed help.

"Well now that you know can you please advise me on how to help me with this pain? I literally feel like I am about to die" Ethel told her sister dramatically.

"Have you taken anything at all?" Esmerelda asked her sister wondering if the girl had taken paracetamol or something.

"No...I didn't want to take the wrong thing and then I remembered there is a potion that helps but I feel so crap I didn't have the energy to make it" Ethel admitted to Esmerelda.

"Probably a good thing, that potion is a hoax, it stops the pain but then you spend the rest of the day throwing up and I am not sure which is better, that potion was invented in medieval times before they had medicine but as of now there is no potion to help unless you want to spent the rest of the day in the bathroom" Esmerelda told her sister remembering the one and only time she had tried that potion and shuddering at the thought.

"But there must be a way, I can't deal with this pain" Ethel told Esmerelda letting tears fall as she was told she was not going to be allowed relive from this pain. She finally let the tears out she had been holding in. Esmerelda wiped her eyes gently and smiled at her.

"Sorry paracetamol is the best as of now" Esmerelda said as she rustled something and Ethel realised she had brought a plastic bag in with her, she reached in and pulled out a small box of tablets handing them to Ethel.

"Take two, here" Esmerelda said giving her sister a glass of water from her bedside table.

Ethel took the medicine quickly but knew it was not going to kick in straight away so sighed wishing witches would hurry up and find a way to stop the pain in a more effective and quicker way.

"Do you have any sanitary towels?" Esmerelda now asked her sister needing to know.

"Yes, but I have no clue what on earth I got, I just stole the first ones I saw" Ethel said without thinking.

"You stole them?" Esmerelda asked shocked at Ethel's confession. She knew her sister could act up but even she knew she was not a thief.

"Please don't yell at me, the shopkeeper was like a eighteen year old guy, I could barely even stand in the section without dying from embarrassment, let alone take them to the till" Ethel admitted to Esmerelda.

If it had been for any other reason Esmerelda would have yelled at her sister for doing something like stealing but in this situation she understood so she let it slide, just this once. The older blonde handed the bag she had brought to Ethel with a smile.

"Here everything you need is in there" Esmerelda told her. She was just grateful her sister already knew about this stuff, having to explain how periods work and why they occur would be the most embarrassing conversation for Esmerelda.

"Thanks Esmie" Ethel replied with a slight smile as she lay down more on the pillows touching her sore stomach.

"You are such a silly goose at times you know, you can talk to me you know" Esmerelda told her sister stroking her forehead to try and soothe her knowing the pain she was in.

"I was so embarrassed about talking about it" Ethel replied honestly "And mum doesn't even talk to me about if I want gravy on my dinner so talking to her was a no-no, I think I would rather speak to Miss Hardbroom or Mildred Hubble about it than mum" Ethel admitted with a sigh.

Esmerelda sighed sadly, her sister should have a mother she can speak to about these things but Esmerelda knew even if their mother had found out she probably would have given Ethel a santiarty pad and then left not even asking if she was in pain and not caring about her daughter or her fears about her new experience.

"I am really scared about this whole thing you know...I didn't think I would be but I am" Ethel admitted closing her eyes to try and forget the pain she was in.

"Of course you are, that is natural, it is all brand new, but you will be fine I promise, it is not that bad really, only the stomach cramps are a nightmare" Esmerelda told her sister knowing herself how painful it could be.

"But what if I am in pain in school?" Ethel asked about something she had being worrying about.

"Oh that is literally the worse, lessons are a nightmare when that happens and sometimes you want to go to your room and lie down until it is all over but if you always try to make sure you take paracetamol you should be fine, plus Miss Cackle, Miss Drill and Miss Bat are all really nice about it..don't even try with Hardbroom, I tried once and she told me the only time I could be excused from her lesson is if I was was in a coma or dead" Esmerelda replied with a sigh. "Otherwise you just have to learn to get on with it there is nothing more you can do" Esmerelda told Ethel about her experiences.

"I don't want to grow up...can I go back to being eight please?" Ethel asked not liking this new growing up rubbish.

"Sorry Ethel you can't, but you are still my little baby sister" Esmerelda told her affectionately before kissing her face. "Literally when you have kids I will be babying you more than them" Esmerelda told her affectionately.

"I know that already" Ethel replied knowing just what her sister was like. She had to laugh to herself as that thought entered her head, her with a small toddler and Esmerelda treating her more like a child then the baby.

"Anymore questions?" Esmerelda asked still stroking her forehead.

Ethel racked her brains thinking about if there was anything else but could think of nothing.

"Not that I can think off" Ethel told her sister.

"Well if you think of something ask away, okay?" Esmerelda told her and the girl nodded in response, now that all that was out the way and Ethel was no longer panicking Esmerelda wanted to help her sister feel better.

"How would you like it if we got into our pyjamas and spent the rest of the day watching films and cuddling?" Esmerelda asked Ethel knowing watching films when not feeling well always made her sister feel better.

"Oh yes please" Ethel told Esmerelda smiling slightly.

"Perfect, here I will go get ready, meet you back in in ten minutes" Esmerelda told her little sister as she jumped up to go get changed.

* * *

Ten minutes later the two girls were lying in Ethel's bed snuggled under the covers, Ethel had her head on her sisters shoulder as she watched the film they had chosen, Matilda, and Esmerelda had her arm around her cuddling her close and stroking her back gently.

Ethel watched the film her stomach finally starting to feel better before she started to speak.

"Esmie?" Esmerelda said to get her sister's attention.

"What is it Ethie?" Esmerelda asked curiously.

"Thank you for today" Ethel said thanking her sister for talking to her.

"What for I didn't do anything" Esmerelda replied not seeing that she had done much to help Ethel, she was just being her sister.

"For helping me, I was really scared, and I appreciate that you didn't make a huge deal out of it" Ethel told her sister glad her sister had not gone on and on about it but just made sure she had what she needed and gave her advice instead of going on about how she was so grown up and was now a woman like Ethel had heard people say before, honestly it would have made everything so much more awkward.

"Of course Ethie, it is my job" Esmerelda replied knowing making a big deal of it would make of made Ethel shut up and not talk about it, having your first period was scary enough as it was without people going on about it so much.

"I should have gone to you straight away you made me feel so much better" Ethel admitted liking she had her older sister to talk to about it.

"Good that was the plan" Esmerelda replied happily.

"Just think Esmie you still have this conversation to look forward to with Sybil" Ethel told her sister laughing.

"No way! It is mum's turn to have that conversation she is not getting out of it three times" Esmerelda replied with a chuckle.

"Three?" Ethel commented confused. Did Esmerelda not talk to their mother about it?

"Yes I went to Grandma when I got mine, I mean imagine if I went to mum, she literally would tell the whole world and never shut up about it" Esmerelda replied explaining why she had not told her mother.

Ethel then remembered when her sister had got into Cackles and when she became head of year, their mum spoke about it for weeks to everyone she came into contact with and Ethel knew if Esmerelda had told their mother she had a period it would probably be on the front page of the newspaper and Ethel now understood why her sister had totally avoided talking to her about it.

"Oh well at least we both had someone to help us, please don't tell mum about this" Ethel told her sister, not that the woman would really care but she still didn't want her to yap about it.

"Of course not, remember you can talk to me about anything even if it takes us half an hour to talk about it because we are both really embarrassed" Esmerelda told Ethel thinking of a few things she would hate to talk to Ethel about.

Ethel laughed slightly but was happy her sister was there to help her and smiled "Thank you" Ethel said quietly and Esmerelda kissed her on the head and then the girls fell silent again as they went back to watching their film, Ethel feeling so much better about the whole thing so happy her sister was there to talk to, so grateful for having a big sister as it suddenly did not feel scary anymore.


End file.
